Urbanization
of Calcutta:Calcutta a port town
emerged into a commercial city in the late 18th & early 19th century.
As the economic, social, cultural and political center of British power,
this market city emerged as the colonial metropolis. Both the British
and the indigenous elite contributed to the growth of the

city. Growing
wealth led to the swift transformation of a trading settlement into a
flourishing town.The
urban fabric represented the contradiction between the rulers and the
ruled. It came to be divided into a 'white town' with tree-lined avenues
and spacious bungalows,

and a 'native
town', pervaded by dingy lanes and makeshift dwellings. The monopololistic
control over markets allowed the British and their Indian collaborators
to amass vast fortunes. It was this money which financed the expansion
of Calcutta. British inhabitants began moving southwards. The appearance
of the

native
town also underwent radical changes as Bengalis themselves started acquiring
wealth. Lavish mansions with pillared facades in

imitation
of British country houseswere
built by the rich Bengalis. The growth of the city witnessed the emergence
of the 'Bhadraloke Class'. They benefited from the British rule. This
class comprised of zamindars, traders, bankers and professional middle
class.